Why Rogue One Was Important For Vader.

Okay, so I was thinking, as I do at irrational hours of the morning, and I think I came up with a bit of an explanation to why Vader's final scene was so necessary, and so so badass.

Again, Spoilers for Rogue One... let's get that out of the way.


So there is no denying that Darth Vader's presence on screen is completely captivating. Always argued as one of the greatest villains of all time, and always talked about with much enthusiasm. I don't think I've ever heard, in all my years, some one say 'Darth Vader sucks', however I also may have selective hearing to such things. But indeed, it is undeniable that he is a character that stirs up many emotions and opinions among viewers.

I remember talking to my mum about him one time, and her telling me that when she saw Star Wars in the theaters after it had first come out, everyone was just in awe with this dark shrouded figure who came in and dominated the screen. Nothing quite like him had ever been seen before.

Then all these years later, we get Rogue One. We all knew from the trailer that Vader was going to have a small part in it, and everyone was excited. But I doubt anyone was prepared for those final moments of the film in which Vader stepped in and opened up a whole galaxy of pain on a hallway of rebel soldiers. This...this was Vader like we had never properly seen him, and boy, what a treat it was. But more than that, I felt it was necessary.

A few friends have even said to me afterwards, that watching the original trilogy now, after seeing Rogue one, makes his character even more badass. And you know what? They are are absolutely right.

If we look back to the ol original trilogy, we get to see Vader portrayed in many ways which build up and cement his character. And I like to think of them as so;

• In A New Hope, we see his ruthless side. 
• In Empire Strikes Back we get to see his determined side.
• And in Return of the Jedi we see his cunning.

Now, in a New Hope, right from the get go we get a taste of the fear he exudes with his prescience, and later on, even the at very mention of his name. His renown is apparent both in the rebels and the Empire, and as an audience we start to feel worried about this ominous figure and his capabilities.
When we finally bare witness to the Vader force choking one of his own officers, it immediately becomes apparent that there is very little that worries this hulking figure. A figure who will appears to have a blatant disregard for human life. He's even quite happy to torture the princess, because to him, it's all just a means to an end. Even after he strikes down Obi Wan, there is a feeling that he is a serious force to be reckoned with, and after we see him join his Tie fighters in the space conflict, we now know he has no problem getting his hands dirty.

From seeing all this, it imposes the idea in us that he is well and truly an evil being.

However, in The Empire Strikes Back we get to see a slightly different side to him. A side that only increases our dread of his figure.
We see him at his most driven. Everything he does is with force, and means. You can feel his hate for the rebels, and his frustration at letting them slip away during Hoth. This is when his character starts using more subtle tactics. And this is where he actually starts to become scary. We've seen and known him as a ruthless villain, but suddenly we see the extent to which his determination is driven, and how his sheer willpower to not give up backs the heroes into the corner.
Again, we begin to understand why he is such a menacing presence to both the rebels and the Empire.

Then in Return of the Jedi we see almost his final side. His cunning. Finally we understand he is not just the Emperors pawn, and that he has his own plans. Not only does he adapt to counter the rebel attack, but with the new knowledge that he has a son, he even creates a ploy to attempt to lure Luke
to the dark side and supersede his Master.
And now we understand why he was such a constant threat. As he was always one step ahead of his foes.

The subtly of his character was done very well too, with a constant build up, never quite revealing the extent of his power, but alluding to the fact that there was more to be feared. That in itself was fantastic writing. And although we are left satisfied with his characters arch, there is always that scratch that part of us wanted to be itched. We still wanted to see why he was so utterly feared by the rebels to begin with. We still wanted to see why the Imperial army was so obedient to him. We wanted to see his power at it's most ruthless. Because although we see plenty examples of his different sides, we only catch snippets of what could only be thought of as his 'true power'. Even in all his battles, they are primarily against other skilled force uses. Obi Wan. A trained Luke, then a Luke as a full fledged Jedi.
But a few storm trooper onlookers during his fight with Obi Wan aside, no one else witnesses his battles. So why is he so incredibly feared?

I think a question of what Vader could actually do if properly unleashed against the enemy, is something that we have always had in the back of our minds but never been too worried about, as his character is already so well portrayed.

Then Rogue One happened, and that itch finally got scratched.

The final corridor scene (and this is a bold statement) is one of my favourite Star Wars moments. It is borderline something out of a horror/thriller movie.
That moment of calm before the storm, where an air of hope is suddenly stripped away by silence, is just haunting. Then that unmistakable sound of Vader's breather, slowly seeps in, and like emerging from a nightmare, the red glow from his saber illuminates him.
Straight away we don't just see the terror in the rebel soldiers faces, we feel it with them. It's that 'We are all doomed' moment.

Then we finally see it. We finally see what we've always secretly been waiting for. Vader in action.  And boy is it glorious.
Those brief two minutes had my heart racing. You suddenly feel the sheer panic of the soldiers enclosed with this heaving behemoth of darkness. You feel the futility of their attempts at stopping him. Yet we can't help but gaze on in awe at this unstoppable juggernaut as he ploughs, shreds and forces his way through the resistance like mere snowflakes.
We see that determination even through his expressionless mask; we see that ruthlessness in every swipe of his saber; we see his cunning in the use of fear itself to instantly demoralize the men. The screams of 'Help us!'...Its like running in a straight line away from a freight train. There is simply no escape.

Then when the plans are finally past on and blast door closes, there is absolute split second of 'phew, that was close' before Vader immediately forces through the door and continues his advance into the next hall.
Even that final scene unfolding behind the rebel solider as he looks back and closes the door behind him, is one of utter ferociousness. Vader effortlessly cutting the men down like blades of grass, is a sight of awe.
Even the prolonged scream of "Launch!" from the soldier lends so much to the moment. It's a cry of utter trepidation. He literally just sealed the fate of those men behind the door, without a second thought.

It's a cinematic moment that really came out of nowhere, and in such a brief time absolutely stirred up a whirlwind of feelings.
But in that moment Vader's character became well and truly complete. We got to see why he people tremble in his presence. Why his fear was absolute. And we finally got to see what we all suspected he was capable of.


For some, it may have just been a fight in a hallway. For me, it was a pure example of Vader's use of Dark Side. And that's why it was an important addition to a great movie.